A teacher has been suspended after removing a pupil’s hijab headscarf in front of her classmates. Footage was posted to Snapchat at a school in Nashville in the United States, with the use of the caption “pretty hair”. Other children in the footage can be seen playing with the girl’s hair, while a second video goes under the caption “lol all that hair cover up”. The traditional Islamic headscarf is worn by some Muslim women and covers the hair and neck, while the face is not covered. It is considered an important sign of modesty and religious faith.
The Grio reported that the girl is seen hiding her face as her headscarf is removed, exposing her hair to the others in the classroom at the New Vision Academy Charter School. One viewer who saw the footage on social media was unhappy and sent the film to MSNBC News 4. They were concerned that the girl was being told that her hair was too pretty to be covered.
The news report was shown to Kasar Abdulla, who gives training on Muslim diversity and sensitivity in schools. She shook her head as the footage was revealed. She said: “As a woman and as a mother of three daughters, it should never be ok to rip off an article of clothing off a female, period. “I understand peer-to-peer, student-to-student interactions, but as adults, it is our duty to model for them. It concerns me. I question, where was the teacher in this incident, and what role did the teacher play? I would like to know some answers from the administration.”
Ms Abdulla said that while she was disappointed, she was not shocked to see the footage. She added: “I highly encourage those faculty members in that particular school to take a crash course on why the hijab is so important to some of my students, and why my students cover up. It’s a symbol of who you are, and it’s a symbol of your faith, and it’s a symbol of your identity. So, it needs to be accepted and recognized.”
When contacted by the media, school principal Dr. Tim Malone began an immediate investigation. He said the teacher tenied recording the video and then said touching the hijab was not done out of disrespect. The girl’s mother and sister were very upset after they watched the video, they said: “This should never happen.” The teacher was suspended without pay.
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/teacher-pulls-hijab-students-hea…
